On the telephone

Speke: Are you there? Are you there?
Watt: No, I'm here.
Speke: What's your name?
Watt: Watt.
Speke: What's your name?
Watt: Watt.
Speke: Can't you hear me? What's your name?
Watt: Watt's my name.
Speke: Yes, what's your name?
Matt: My name's Watt.
Speke: I'm asking you.
Watt: I'm called Watt.
Speke: I don't know.
Watt: I am Mr Tom Watt.
Speke: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't understand.
Watt: Who are you?
Speke: Speke.
Watt: I am speaking. What's your name?
Speke: My name's Speke. I want to speak to Day.
Watt: You can speak today. I can hear you.
Speke: I don't want you to hear me. I want to speak to Day.
Watt: At what time?
Speke: Now! I want to speak to Day. To DAY! To DAY!
Watt: It's today now, Speke. Speak, Speke.
Speke: But I want to speak to Mr Henry Day now.
Watt: Oh I'm sorry. You can't speak to Day today. He doesn't want to speak to Speke today. He told me so.

Translator's Lament

(with apologies to sticklers for accurate rhymes and scansion)

To be a translator, believe me, it's sad
To be a translator you have to be mad.
Who else would sit all alone in a room
Encased in loneliness more like a tomb?

Who else would fondle a microphone cable
Or typewriter keyboard when perfectly able
To fondle some better, more pliant device?
(It happens to others, they say it's quite nice.)

Who else would apply so much love, care, devotion
To something that is another man's notion?
Who else would spend hours to seek out one word
Just to ensure he writes nothing absurd?

Who else would read carefully through some epistle
Produced by a half-wit who had better whistle
Than write rotten copy that doesn't mean much
Yet expects a translation in, say, perfect Dutch?

Who else would accept that every job's hot
When he knows jolly well that it's probably not
And flog himself silly to see the work through
Then wait for three months not collecting one sou?

Who else would put up at social occasions
With statements like: "Oh, you do translations- ,
There's not much to that, after all it's your lingo,
So where are the problems, why labour that thing so?"

Who else would be willing each day of the year
To sit an exam where the pass-mark's a mere
one hundred percent or maybe just below?
If you think that's easy, why not have a go?

An yet it's a challenge which on reflection
Provides enormous job satisfaction.
Those who enjoy it will never desert
The odd fascination of the "foreign" word - Wort, oh what the hell...

John H.Hayes

Writing An Article:

Are you a Bookworm?

Do you spend more than 10 hours reading? Do you forget to eat or drink because your in the best part of the book? Do you read several books at the same time? Are you the month reader in your local library? Do the librarians know you by name? Do they have to chase you away after closing hours? Do you spend more money in books that you should? Do you forget arrangements with your friends because your in the best part of the book and you don't to put it down? Were you forced to wear glasses because of your reading habits?Do you get so caught up in the stories that you forget there only fictional? Do you get agitated when you don't read? Are books your best and only friends? Do you usually quote books a lot but you can't remember what other people tell you?

If the answer is yes to any... well there is a strong possibility that you might be a bookworm. A bookworm can be descrived as a person who is obsessed with books and consequently suffers from a compulsion to read and keep reading until he is done with it. These people are usually loners and social ackward, they have few friends because they hide in their own world of fantasy behind books, they tend to suffer from headaches and most of them use glasses due to their intensity of reading. When restrained from reading these people may exibite symptoms like anxiety, irritability and some disconnection to his surrounding environment.

So are you an hopeless case or there's still some light at the end of the tunnel for you? Well when dealing with obsession, any therapist or psychiatrist, will tell you that it is a long proccess and the way to cure it is by baby steps. So first, I recomend you cut a bit on the reading, every week try to take an hour from your reading schedule. Second, you will read better if you sleep at least 8 hours a day and you will have a lot more energy, if you eat. Try to get out more of the house and try to socialize more, find a group of friends of yours who will help you overcome the addiction and will help you keep busy. Finally, remember that the cells in your iris are not reconstructable and that they deteriorate along your age, so always read with plenty of light.

The Birthday Party

It was a sunny autumn afternoon and a light breeze was rustling the remaining leaves in the trees.


With his mom holding a big box-shapped present with a large red bow, Tom banged on the door. Jordan's mom welcomed them and let them know the party was in the backyard and that they could put the present on the gifts table, which was already creaking due to the massive weight.


There were ballons popping, cameras clicking frantically, the sound of the clatter of the horses' hoofs echoed around along with the sounding laughters of children having fun, "It looks exactly like a mini fair"- thought Tom as he eagerly joined the party. He first went to find Jordan so he could wish her an happy birthday, there were a lot of children in the party and to others finding her would be like finding a needle in an hay-stack but, knowing his friend as well as he did, he knew that she liked magicians so looking into the crowd watching the show it was easy spotting her in the first row applauding.


Tom wished her an happy birthday, he watched the show for a while next to Jordan and then went to check everything else. There were sounds of kids' heads plopping in the water as they were diving in to catch the apples on the barrel, of the balls clashing and knocking the tin cans, of the squeeking ballons while the clown was molding them into dogs, elephants and even giraffes and of the tapping and hopping of the ones that were strutting their stuff on the improvised dancefloor. But when Tom saw the cattering table was when he really felt that he had reached the dream land or better yet... candy land, with the main piece being a chocolate volcano that erupted M&Ms, toffes and other various treats.


The party was going great and everyone was having a good time when all of the sudden every noise went to an halt that was only broken by the sound of a door creaking open and Jordan's father coming out off the house with a big cake and led them all in the happy birthday song. Jordan blew her candles and then came the most anticipated moment for her... the opening of the presents. The sound of paper being torned apart, of joy and excitement surrounding this moment was almost deafining, and after the party goods being distribuited amongst the young guests everyone went home.


Jordan said farewell to Tom and told him that they would see each other on his party, Tom said goodbye and on the drive home all he could think was how cool the day had been and that he hoped that his party next month was as awesome as Jordan's.

MYSELF

Hi everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can I tell you about me... Well, my name is Mara, I'm 22 years old and I currently reside in Santarém the historical capital of Gothic Art. Right now, I'm majoring in translation in Lisbon (FCSH), in both English and Spanish.
As far as my tastes go... I'm a very ecclectic when it comes to music so I can listen to almost anything but movies are my real passion (not a big fan of the HORROR genre) so, of course, being in this course I hoped that maybe further down the line I get the chance of working in subititles, because from what I've seen (on previous translations) so far I don't think I can do much worse lol.
What else... I also love animals and I have a dog, a golden retriever named Ubi... yes I know it's a bit odd but don't get me started on that. In between music and films, I like to hang out with my friends and go out partying... like any other NORMAL college student

A liitle bit about...me

Hi everyone!
I'm Cátia and I'm from Lourinhã, a small village in the west coast of Portugal.
Right now I'm in Lourinhã only during the weenkends and vacations. During the week I'm in a rent room in Lisbon because it would be too hard for me to study in Lisbon and live in Lourinhã.
I was taking a degree in Journalism last year, but as many people do, I realize that that wasn't what I wanted to do for living, so this year I'm in Translation in FCSH (English and Spanish).
What more can I say....well, I love animals (I have 8 dogs), going to the cinema...so you probably will see a lot about this "subjects" on this blog :)
Hope you enjoy it!

P.S.: Here is some photos of Lourinhã!